Secondary bus communication between devices in an automated transaction machine

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of this disclosure provides an apparatus for use in an automated transaction system. The apparatus includes a first interface coupled to a primary bus, the first interface configured to permit communication of data. The apparatus also includes a second interface coupled to a secondary bus, the second interface configured to permit communication of the data. A network topology of the primary bus is different from a network topology of the secondary bus. The apparatus also includes at least one processing device coupled to the first interface and second interface. The at least one processor is configured to communicate the data over at least one of the first interface or second interface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is a § 371 National Stage of Application No.PCT/US2017/012774 filed Jan. 9, 2017. International Patent ApplicationNo. PCT/US2017/012774 claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 365 and/or 35U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/276,748 filedon Jan. 8, 2016, each of which are incorporated herein by reference intothe present disclosure as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is generally directed to automated transaction systems,automated teller machines, unattended payment machines, and vendingmachines. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to datacommunication over a secondary bus between automated transaction systemscomponents and data communication between host machine components.

BACKGROUND

Payment peripherals and automatic transaction machines communicate viastandard industry protocols such as multi-drop bus (MDB). Although theindustry protocols allow basic functionality, additional information istransferred locally within the machine together with externalconnections such as audit and service tools. These connections require atechnician to physically access the machine and perform updates andother various service requests. Having a technician physically access amachine is expensive and can cause delays.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides a secondary bus for automated transactionsystems and vending machines.

One embodiment provides an apparatus for use in an automated transactionsystem. The apparatus includes a first interface coupled to a primarybus, the first interface configured to permit communication of data. Theapparatus also includes a second interface coupled to a secondary bus,the second interface configured to permit communication of the data. Anetwork topology of the primary bus is different from a network topologyof the secondary bus. The apparatus also includes at least oneprocessing device coupled to the first interface or second interface.The at least one processor is configured to communicate the data over atleast one of the first interface or second interface.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides an automated transactionsystem. The system includes a primary bus including a host controller, afirst device coupled to the host controller over the primary bus, asecond device coupled to the host controller over the primary bus, and asecondary bus coupled to the first device and second device. The firstdevice is configured to directly communicate with the second device overthe secondary bus.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides an apparatus for use in anautomated transaction system. The apparatus includes a memory elementconfigured to store a device list, at least one processing deviceconfigured to: identify one or more devices in a network; add the one ormore devices to the device list; and provide the device list to the oneor more devices of the network to allow the one or more devices todirectly communicate over the network.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for communicatingover multiple networks in an automated transaction system. The methodincludes communicating with a host controller over a primary bus in theautomated transaction system. The method also includes identifying oneor more devices on a secondary bus in the automated transaction system.The method also includes directly communicating with one of the one ormore devices over the secondary bus.

Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in theart from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is nowmade to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view illustrating a vending machinewith an automated transaction system implementing a secondary busaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automated transaction system utilizinga secondary bus according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a secure communication system according to thisdisclosure;

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate transaction sequence diagrams in accordance withan embodiment of this disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for communicating over multiplenetworks in an automated transaction system according to thisdisclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrate example devices in an automated transaction systemaccording to this disclosure.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may beadvantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases usedthroughout this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivativesrefer to any direct or indirect communication between two or moreelements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with oneanother. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” as well asderivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication.The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, meaninclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaningand/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof,means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, becontained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicablewith, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be boundto or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, orthe like. The term “controller” means any device, system or part thereofthat controls at least one operation. Such a controller may beimplemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and/orfirmware. The functionality associated with any particular controllermay be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Thephrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means thatdifferent combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used,and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least oneof: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, Aand B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 6, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present invention in this patent documentare by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any wayto limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the principles of this disclosure may be implemented inany suitably arranged device or system.

Definitions for other certain words and phrases are provided throughoutthis patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art shouldunderstand that in many if not most instances, such definitions apply toprior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases. Thisdisclosure provides a flexible common secondary bus between devices ofan automated transaction system vending machine that can be used inaddition to a primary bus.

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view illustrating a vending machine100 with an automated transaction system implementing a secondary busaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A vendingmachine, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is one example of an apparatus thatcan implement an automated transaction system. Vending machine 100includes a cabinet and a service door that together define an enclosure.

Automated transaction system includes a customer product selectioninterface 104 and payment systems 105. Customer product selectioninterface 104 can be a touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) displayand input or other type of touch-screen display. Payment systems 105 mayinclude one or more of a coin mechanism, a note validator and/orrecycler, a magnetic stripe swipe mechanism for reading the magneticstripe on credit or debit cards as well as gift cards, near-fieldcommunication device for receiving wireless payment, integrated circuitcards (ICCs), smart cards, and the like. In one or more embodiments,some of these devices may be combined into a single device. For example,the note validator or the coin mechanism may also include a near-fieldcommunication aspect.

The vending machine 100 includes a delivery bin door positioned below atransparent window and substantially across the width of the productcolumns behind the transparent window. In different embodiments, thedelivery bin door may be positioned alongside the transparent window. Inyet other embodiments, the window may not be transparent, but opaque.Products available for vending are thus held in, for example, helicalcoils on shelves visible from the exterior through the transparentwindow and are dropped through a space between the shelves and thetransparent window into the delivery bin behind delivery bin door.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the complete structure of avending machine is not depicted in the drawings, and the completedetails of the structure and operation of the vending machine is notdescribed herein. Instead, for simplicity and clarity, only so much ofthe structure and operation of a vending machine as is unique to thepresent disclosure or necessary for an understanding of the presentinvention is depicted and described. In addition, other types ofautomated transaction systems may include different and other componentsthan those depicted for the vending machine.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automated transaction system 200utilizing a secondary bus according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Although certain details will be provided with reference tothe components of the automated transaction system 200, it should beunderstood that other embodiments may include more, less, or differentcomponents. The embodiment of the automated transaction system 200illustrated in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. FIG. 2 does not limitthe scope of this disclosure to any particular implementation of anautomated transaction system.

The automated transaction system 200 includes a host controller 202,display interface 206, a primary bus 210, access point 212, secondarybus 214, coin mechanism 216, note validator 218, cashless device 222(e.g., magnetic swipe card reader and near-field communication device.The coin mechanism 216 is configured to accept and dispense coins and anote validator 218 is configured to accept, validate, and dispensenotes. A note can also be referred to as a banknote, treasury note,bill, ticket, cash, money, bank-draft, promissory note, coupon, check(personal, cashier, travelers), currency, bond, drafts and documents ofvalue (paper, metal, polymer), or a combination thereof, and the like. Acoin can also be referred to as a token, slug, and object of value(metal, polymer), or a combination thereof, and the like. The coinmechanism 216, note validator 218, cashless device 222 (e.g., magneticswipe reader and near-field communication device) can be referred to asa payment device. In further embodiments, the payment devices can alsoinclude a cashless payment or loyalty reader. In one or moreembodiments, note validator 218 could include a recycler. In otherembodiments, the recycler could be a separate components of the system.

In one example embodiment, the host controller 202 for a vending machineincludes a vending machine controller (VMC), typically implemented usinga programmable microcontroller mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)with suitable connections to the primary bus 210. The primary bus 210can be a Multi-Drop Bus (MDB) for peripherals. Coupled to hostcontroller 202 is the display interface 206 for controlling operation ofa display, such as an array of eight-segment light emitting diode (LED)character displays, a touch screen, or other suitable graphical display.One example of the interface 206 can be interface 104 as shown inFIG. 1. The host controller 202 and display interface 206 cause thedisplay to show a menu incorporating the products offered for salewithin the vending machine 100.

The host controller 202 is also coupled to a memory 228 containing aworkflow program 204 controlling the process of vend transactions withinthe vending machine 100. The memory 228 can include any suitablevolatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval device(s). For example,the memory 228 can include any electronic, magnetic, electromagnetic,optical, electro-optical, electro-mechanical, or other physical devicethat can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmitinformation. The memory 228 can store data and instructions for use bythe host controller 202. The host controller 202 can also be a processoror multiple processors, including processing circuitry.

The host controller 202 is communicatively linked with the paymentdevices via the primary bus 210. The primary bus 210 allows forcommunication between devices of the automated transaction system 200using a master-slave relationship. The primary bus 210 can utilizeprotocols such as MDB, Executive Interface (BDB), VCCS, or the like. Thehost controller 202 acts as the master controller for all other slavedevices of the automated transaction system 200 (such as the paymentdevices, interface 206, or the like). Using the primary bus 210, thehost controller 202 acts as a central hub or router to receive data fromslave devices and transmitting data to slave devices, for example, basedon the received data. In other words, the slave devices do notcommunicate directly with each other over the primary bus 210. It shouldbe noted that such a primary bus may or may not support a transfer oflarge files such as data files of above a threshold size. The size ofthe file may be impractical to transfer over the primary bus 210. Theprimary bus 210 can provide power as well as basic machinecommunications to one or more devices of the automated transactionsystem 200, including the access point 212.

The secondary bus 214 may operate in tandem or independently with theprimary bus 210. The secondary bus 214 creates a peer-to-peer (P2P)communication network topology or mesh network topology between thedevices of the automated transaction system 200 to share resources thatare useful to multiple devices of the automation system. P2P and meshnetwork topologies may both be referred to as ad-hoc networks. An ad-hocnetwork is an unplanned network with a self-organizing functionality.For example, the note validator 218 can share a real time clock via thesecondary bus 214 with the coin mechanism 216 to help detect fraud. Bysharing a real time clock of the coin mechanism 216 via the secondarybus 214 with the note validator 218, the note validator 218 candifferentiate a plurality of vends between a time range as fraudulentvends from a plurality of vends between another time range as legitimatevends.

As another example, the coin mechanism 216 or the note validator 218 maynot include a display. The coin mechanism 216 or the note validator 218can share a use of the display interface 206 via the secondary bus 214.In other words, with an implementation of the secondary bus 214, alldevices of the automation system 200 can directly share resources witheach other. Shared resources can include a shared hardware device (suchas an LCD display or a memory), shared data, or the like. It should beunderstood that the display interface 206 can also be a diagnostics LCDdisplay disposed within a body of the automated transaction system 200for access by a technician.

In one example embodiment, the secondary bus 214 can be implementedthrough the use of a controller area network bus (CAN bus). Thesecondary bus 214 may also permit sharing of memory as well asprocessing resources between nodes (nodes can refer to any deviceconnected to the secondary bus 214). Any individual node may allow useof idle memory or processing power to assist a node needing memory orprocessing power for currency validation, graphics display, or otherapplications. Each of the nodes can be configured to utilize thesecondary bus 214 based on at least one of a size of data to becommunicated or a type of data to be communicated. For example, a nodecan include different interfaces to transmit and/or receive data via thesecondary bus 214 and primary bus 210. The buses 210 and 214 can utilizedifferent network topologies. For example, bus 210 may use master/slave,while bus 214 uses either P2P or mesh. Different network topologies canindicate a difference in addressing systems. For example, in a firsttopology, direct addressing between peripheral devices is not possible,while a different topology provides direct addressing betweenperipherals.

The node can determine, via a controller, to transmit data directly toanother node via the secondary bus 214 by activating the interface tothe secondary bus 214 and transmitting the data using the interface tothe secondary bus 125 based on at least one of a size of the data to betransmitted or a type of the data to be transmitted. In an embodiment,the node can be configured to utilize the secondary bus 214 based on atype of device to receive data communication. The secondary bus 214 analso be used to distribute power provided by the host controller 202, orother source, to one or more devices of the automation system 200.

In one example embodiment, the secondary bus creates a P2P communicationnetwork between devices of an automated transaction system 200 to allowelectronic access to devices of the automated transaction system 200 viaa single access point (such as access point 212). The secondary bus 214can be communicatively coupled to the access point 212. The P2Pcommunication network can also allow for direct communication throughthe access point 212.

In another example embodiment, the secondary bus creates a communicationnetwork between devices of an automated transaction system 200 to allowdirect communication between the devices as well as electronic access todevices of the automated transaction system 200 via a single accesspoint (such as access point 212).

In one example embodiment, the access point 212 can be a telemeter. Theaccess point 212 can provide access external from the automatedtransaction system 200 such that an external device (such as a mobiledevice) can access devices communicatively linked to the secondary bus214. For example, an external device can access audit files, diagnosticfiles, and exchange and transmit commands from any devicecommunicatively linked to the secondary bus 214 via the access point212. The access point 212 can be referred to herein as a gateway orcontroller. When operating on the secondary bus 214, the access point212 can be referred to as a secondary controller to distinguish from thehost controller 202.

In one example, the access point 212 could be part of one of devices216-222. In different example embodiments, the access point 212 can be aseparate device with physical connections to a primary 210 and secondary214 bus; the access point 212 could be a device on another peripheralwith a physical connection to the secondary bus, and a power and/orconnection to a primary bus via the peripheral; the access point 212could be part of another peripheral and include a shared hardware anddatalink layer for connection to the secondary bus 214. In one or moreof these example embodiments, the access point 212 and peripherals,whether combined or not, may appear as separate nodes on a primary 210and/or secondary 214 bus.

As another example, an external device with a display screen can viewparameters of multiple devices communicatively linked to the secondarybus 214, store parameters in a memory of one device of the automatedtransaction system 200 for another device of the automated transactionsystem 200, use memory on one device of the automated transaction system200 to upload firmware to another device of the automated transactionsystem 200, and the like, via the access point 212. The access point 212can allow an external device to access information at each of the devicecommunicatively linked via the secondary bus 214 via a wiredcommunication channel or via wireless communication (such as ZIGBEE™ ornear field communication) using, for example, a long distancecommunication connection to the Internet by use of a cellular modem,WiFi transceiver, or wired Ethernet connection.

In one or more example embodiments, the use of the primary bus 210 andsecondary bus 214 allows for simultaneous access to a device of theautomated transaction system 200. During simultaneous access, theprocessor or controller of the device can concurrently perform orexecute one or more processes. For example, the note validator 218 canreceive a firmware update through the secondary bus 214 while performinga payment transaction through the primary bus 210.

Some features of the secondary bus 214 can include: (1) support for aplurality of nodes with some node addresses being reserved for broadcastmessage; (2) other nodes are aware when devices attach or detach fromthe secondary bus 214 through the use of a device list; (3) messagestransferred via the secondary bus 214 can be prioritized such thatsustained data transfer is maintained while still allowing fastsynchronous messages to be sent from node to node; (4) peripheral toperipheral communications for enhanced functionality; (5) enhancedsecurity; (6) remote access when combined with an access point 212; (7)payload diagnostics allowing the secondary bus 214 to support aplurality of different protocols (such as 256 different protocols) suchthat there is no restriction on the format or message length; and (8)the secondary bus 214 can be implemented across a range of inexpensiveand expensive peripherals.

In some embodiments, the secondary bus 214 can include a maximumnode-to-node message latency of about 30 ms. Messages can take less than16 ms while a background data transfer is occurring and below 10 msduring normal bus activity. The timings of the secondary bus 214 arealso capable of sustained transfers of large amounts of data withoutsignificantly adversely affecting other bus traffic. For example, a 1megabyte (MB) file can be transferred in less than 120 seconds. In oneexample embodiment, the protocol for the secondary bus 214 can be basedon an IOS 7 layer model.

In one example embodiment, the host controller 202 may be coupled to thesecondary bus 214. In this example, the host controller 202 may providepower to the access point 212.

The access point 212 includes processor 230, memory 232, and transceiver234. The processor 230 can be any type of processing device and mayinclude multiple processing cores. The processor 230 can includeprocessing circuitry. The memory 232 can include any suitable volatileor non-volatile storage and retrieval device(s). For example, the memory232 can include any electronic, magnetic, electromagnetic, optical,electro-optical, electro-mechanical, or other physical device that cancontain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit information. Thememory 232 can store data and instructions for use by the access point212. The transceiver 234 can be configured to communicate wirelesslyusing ZigBee, Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, 5G, LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX, WiFi, or otherwireless communication techniques.

In one or more embodiments, the access point 212 can communicate to atelemetry server 240, scheduling and alarm server 242, and/or paymentsserver 244 through the transceiver 234. Through this communication theaccess point 212 can allow for remote audit reporting, scheduling, alarmreporting, firmware upgrades, and the like.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates one example of an automated transactionsystem 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 2. For example, thecomponents of the automated transaction system 200 could be rearrangedor have different patterns. Various components in FIG. 2 could beomitted, combined, or further subdivided and additional components couldbe added according to particular needs. For example, while shownseparately, memory 228 may be a part of host controller 202.Additionally, as processor 230 is shown as part of access point 212 withmemory 232, the memory 232 may be external to the access point 212. Inyet another example, access point 212 may only include some of thecomponents as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a secure communication system 300 according to thisdisclosure. The embodiment of the secure communication system 300illustrated in FIG. 3 is for illustration only. FIG. 3 does not limitthe scope of this disclosure to any particular implementation of asecure communication system. The secure communication system 300 is oneexample embodiment of automated transaction system 200

As shown in FIG. 3, the secure communication system 300 includes anaccess point 212, a secure device 302 (such as a cashless device 222),and a standard device 304 (such as a coin mechanism 216 or notevalidator 218). The communication types are illustrated as machine buscommunications 340 over a primary bus, normal communications 350 over asecondary bus, and secure communications 360 over the secondary bus.

The access point 212 (such as a telemeter) contains a secure element tohold encryption and authentication keys for remote access or fordevice-to-device encryption of selected messages. The access point 212further contains a secure bootloader with software updates and optionalconfigurations protected by certificates (such as manufacturer orservice certificates). The remote access can be for configuration,audit, and cashless communications 312 to a server. Host controller 310can be configured for wired communications configuration, and auditcommunications 312 to a server.

The secure device 302 contains a secure element for device-to-deviceencryption of selected messages. The secure device 302 also contains asecure bootloader with software updates and optional configurationsprotected by certificates (such as manufacturer certificates). Theencryption keys can be stored in a secure access module.

The standard device 304 includes encryption configuration messages andcontains a secure bootloader with software updates and optionallyconfigurations protected by certificates (such as manufacturercertificates). The encryption keys can be stored in a processing system.

The protocol is based on the open system interconnection (OSI) 7 layermodel. This model defines the following layers: physical layer, datalinklayer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentationlayer, and application layer.

In one example embodiment, the physical layer can be based on thedifferential RS485 protocol. The physical layer includes electricallythat allows a bus with up to 32 nodes with data rates of up to 35 Mbit/sfor buses of less than 100 meters. It should be noted that the receiversshould be permanently enabled. In one example embodiment, the serialprotocol can conform to the following: baud rate of 115,200 bits/s, databits equal to eight, one start bit, one stop bit, and no parity. Anode's transmitter can be disabled until it is desired to send traffic.The transmitter can remain enabled until the last stop bit of the lastcharacter in any message has been transmitted.

For datalink and network layers, the datalink is responsible forreliably transmitting data from one node to another. Broadcast messagesto all nodes are also supported. The datalink is payload agnostic andcan carry a variety of transport and application protocols. The basicdefault datalink packet size is 1 to 255 data bytes. The protocol mayoptionally chain several packets together to achieve larger payloads.The protocols can either be custom designed for particular applicationsand existing protocols such as ccTalk, MDB, Internet protocol (IP) canbe supported.

For node identifications (IDs), it should be understood that each nodeon a secondary bus can have a unique node ID from 0x01 (1D) to 0x1F(31D). Any type of node can use any free address. The 0x00 (0D) node IDcan be reserved for broadcast messages.

For message prioritization, to allow different message types to co-existon the bus, traffic is split into three categories: datalink controlmessages (ACK, NAK, and BUSY), normal messages, and data transfer.Datalink messages can have the highest priority and data transfermessages the lowest priority. Within each group, all messages mayinitially have the same priority. Should a collision occur, thetransmitting nodes could assign a random delay to the colliding messagesto ensure they do not retry at the same time. This prioritization allowslarge amounts of data to be transferred in the background whileremaining responsive to normal inter node traffic. The random prioritywithin a group means that every node, over time, has an equal chance ofaccessing the bus.

For timeouts, the following timeouts will be referred to throughout thefollowing sections:

Inter-character timeout is the max time between characters in a message.This is defined to be five characters or fifty bits. At 155,200 baud,this time can be about 500 microseconds.

Datalink ACK time is the max time for the datalink to wait for anacknowledge response from the destination node. This time can be 10milliseconds (ms).

To allow message prioritization, the following initial bus access delayscould be used:

ACK/NAK/RET—Datalink acknowledges can access the bus immediately after apreceding message.

Standard Message—Standard messages can access the bus a minimum of 500microseconds after a proceeding message.

Data Transfer—Data transfer messages can access the bus after a minimumof 1000 microseconds after a preceding message.

In one example embodiment, these are the minimum allowed access times.Nodes may extend these times if required. To maintain messageprioritization after a bus collision, the sum of the initial bus accesstimes plus a random time of 0-500 mS could be used.

For Bus Access Retry, after a collision, the node could wait for atleast the inter character time before attempting to access the busagain. To minimize further collisions between two or more nodes tryingto access the bus, the retry delay time is the base message delay plus arandom time of between 0 and 465 uS as follows:

TABLE 1 I/C Base Variable Total Message Type Delay Delay Delay DelayControl 500 uS 0 uS 0-465 uS 500-965 uS Normal 500 uS 500 uS 0-465 uS1000-1465 uS Data Transfer 500 uS 1000 uS 0-465 uS 1500-1965 uS

For pseudo 4-bit random number generator, while any algorithm can beused to generate the random or pseudo random delay, the cyclicredundancy code (CRC) 16 calculator already implemented for messageprotection can also be used. The CRC should be initialized to 0xFFFF andthe current node id added to the CRC. The lower four bits of the new CRCwill be the pseudo random delay.

CRC=0xFFFF; //Only required at startup

CRC=CalcCRC(CRC, Node Id);

Delay (uS)=(CRC & 0xF)*15;

The above algorithm will restrict the “random” times to values between0-500 uS. The algorithm can be modified for systems without theresources to implement a timer with the required 15 uS resolution byadjusting the 15 uS multiplier and using less bits of the CRC.

For packet format, the datalink layer of the protocol performs the lowlevel data transfer between nodes. It will allow reliable transfer of upto 255 bytes of data. The transport layer can support larger datatransfers by using multiple datalink messages. Total Max Packet Size—262bytes. Bus throughput will be 39 full messages a second at 115 kilobaud(Kbaud). The packet format is shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Byte 0 Source address (first byte so guaranteed if 2 nodestransmit stimultaneously) 1 Destination address 2 Control byte 3 Length4 − n 0 to 255 data bytes n + 1 CRC MSB n + 2 CRC LSB

Table 3 can show examples of the control byte.

TABLE 3 Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bit 0 WAN RFU RFU RFU MsgNum Packet PacketPacket Access Type Type Type Bit 2 Bit 1 Bit 0

For a packet type, a three-bit field defines the type of packet beingsent. Table 4 shows the different packet types and fields.

TABLE 4 Packet Type Packet Type Packet Type Bit 2 Bit 1 Bit 0 PacketType 0 0 0 DATA 0 0 1 ACK 0 1 0 NAK 0 1 1 BUSY 1 0 0 Join NetworkRequest 1 0 1 Join Network Confirm 1 1 0 Leave Network 1 1 1 RFU

In Table 4, the data messages can normally contain additional messagebytes. The NAK message can have an additional byte containing a NAKreason. The Join Network Confirm message can have additional data bytesreporting the product type. The BUSY message can have an additional bytecontaining a retry delay.

The message number is a single bit field that indicates the number ofthe current message. Only two message numbers are required to assistwith handling protocol exceptions. A message number should be maintainedper node and the first message between two nodes should be set toMessage 0.

TABLE 5 MsgNum Packet Type 0 Message 0 1 Message 1

The Wide Area Network (WAN) access field is a single bit that indicateswhether or not the message has arrived over the WAN. Nodes may choose touse this bit to restrict access for sensitive messages, if required.

TABLE 6 WAN Access Message Source 0 Local Area Network 1 Wide AreaNetwork

To protect the transaction, a CRC can be appended to the end of themessage. The CRC polynominial can be X¹⁶+X¹⁵+X²+1.

For bus access, nodes can attempt to access the bus after there has beenno bus activity for a predefined amount of time. The time depends on thetype of traffic being sent. Nodes can continuously monitor the bus sothat potentially the bus delay timeouts have expired when a messageneeds to be sent, allowing messages to be sent immediately. If it is notpossible to continually monitor the bus, the bus access timeout must bestarted when the node wishes to send a message.

For collision detection, occasionally two nodes will attempt to accessthe bus simultaneously. To detect this, the senders' receiver should beenabled for at least the first byte transmitted. This byte is thesenders' node id and therefore will be unique. If the local loopbackshows the first byte received is not the correct node id, transmissionshould be aborted and a retry exception started. Note that due to theopen collector bus and depending on the exact node ids, one of the idsmay not get corrupted. In this case, all receiving nodes have receivedthe same source id and the message can be continued. Fornon-transmitting nodes on the bus, collisions will not be immediatelyobvious. A valid character could be received when two nodes attempt toaccess the bus simultaneously. The system will then rely on theinter-character timeouts to expire, readying the receiving nodes for anew message.

For message numbers, the datalink header contains a message numberfield. This can be a single bit and therefore the message numberalternates between MsgNum=0 and MsgNum=1. The message numbers help theprotocol recover from lost packets.

For ACK responses, if the message was transmitted, the datalink shouldwait for a reply from the remote node. A timeout (ACK timeout) should beset. If a correct ACK is received back from the remote node, thetransaction is complete and the data link can be released for furthertransactions. The correct ACK is an ACK response with the MsgNum bit setto the same value as the incoming message. If an ACK is received with amismatched MsgNum bit, a link failure has occurred and the system shouldattempt to recover using the procedures specified later in thisdocument.

If a BUSY response is received from the remote node then the transactionshould be re-tried after a minimum delay of a time specified by a singlemessage byte. The value in this byte should be multiplied by 10 mS toobtain the retry time. If a NAK response is received from the remotenode then the transaction cannot be processed. The transaction shouldnot be retried. The NAK response includes a byte holding a NAK reasoncode. The NAK reason codes are in Table 7.

TABLE 7 0x00 No reason available 0x01 Node in Use. Returned if a nodeattempts to join the bus with a duplicated node id. 0x01 Message toolong 0x02 Invalid CRC ((node still responds even though there is achance that the id is corrupt) 0x03 Protocol not supported 0x04Unauthorized message (Invalid WAN request, authentication failed etc)

A response can be pending for up to the Datalink ACK Timeout (500 mS).If no response is received in this time, the message can be resentimmediately. A transaction should be sent up to 3 times. If no responseis received in this time, the remote node should be assumed to havedisconnected.

On power up and whenever a device is added to the secondary bus network,a full or partial enumeration should take place. When a device powersup, it can announce its presence with a broadcast control message from arandomly generated node address from 0x01 to 0x20. This messageannounces the intention to join the bus. If possible, the node addressfrom the last connection should be used; otherwise a new random addressis generated. The device should then listen for 50 mS for a denialmessage from other devices on the bus. These denial messages will onlycome from a node that has already selected the desired node id. Notethat the denial will come in the form of a broadcast message from thenode ID being attempted to use. If a denial message is received, a newnode id should be selected and the connection attempt retried. Note thatif denials are received for all possible nodes, the bus is fullypopulated and the node cannot connect to the bus until another device isremoved. If no denials are received in the timeout period, the node canassume it has obtained the required node id and it should then broadcastthe Join Network Confirm control message. This message includes a uniqueproduct id together with a unique serial number that allows other nodesto determine the capabilities of the connecting node. All other nodes onreceiving the Network Confirm messages should respond with their ownNetwork Confirm messages to the new node to allow a network map to bebuilt up if required.

For a network connection when a requested node is not in use, theconnecting node generates a random node ID. The connecting node alsosends a broadcast message with a node request. The connecting node canwait for 10 ms. If there are no denials, the node can join the network.Other nodes can respond with a join request to the new node with theirown IDs. This is repeated for all other connected nodes.

For a network connection when a requested node is in use, the connectingnode generates a random node ID. The connecting node also sends abroadcast message with a node request. The connecting node waits for 10ms. The original node is in use so the original node denies the request.The connecting node selects new node address and repeats join networkbroadcast. If no denials from the new node, the connecting node can jointhe network. Other nodes can respond with a join request to the new nodewith their own IDs. This is repeated for all other connected nodes.

To disconnect from a network, a message can be defined in theapplication layer protocol indicating a node is about to be disconnectedfrom the network. Note that this message is not mandatory and nodes canbe removed without notification. Any node detecting another node hasbeen disconnected may optionally broadcast that a third party node is nolonger available if it has not received a disconnect notification.

For a broadcast message response, nodes may not respond at the datalinklayer to any messages sent to the broadcast node (0x00). Messages couldbe passed up to the higher levels for processing.

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate transaction sequence diagrams in accordance withan embodiment of this disclosure. The transport 402 and datalink 404layers are at a transmitting node and remote datalink 406 and remotetransport 40 layers at a receiving node. The embodiments of thetransaction sequence diagrams illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D are forillustration only. FIGS. 4A-4D do not limit the scope of this disclosureto any particular implementation of transaction sequence diagrams.

FIG. 4A illustrates a transaction sequence diagram for a goodtransaction where the ACK is corrupted. At message 410, the transmittingnode issues a command to send a datalink packet to node n. At 412, thetransmitting node transport layer sends data bytes to receiving node nwith a message number of 0. The remote datalink layer at the receivingnode conducts a length and CRC check. If passed, at 414, the remotedatalink layer passes the message to the remote transport layer and, at416, transmits the ACK for message 0 to the originating node.

If no acknowledgement is received because it was lost of corrupted, thetransmitting node timeouts and, at 418, resends data bytes to receivingnode n with message number of 0. The receiving node can acknowledge, at420, the message number without a datalink event as the message numberis the same as the previous message.

At 422, the datalink indicates acknowledgement of the response.

FIG. 4B illustrates a transaction sequence diagram for a goodtransaction. At message 424, the transmitting node issues a command tosend a datalink packet to node n. At 426, the transmitting node sendsdata bytes to receiving node n with a message number of 0. The remotedatalink layer at the receiving node conducts an ID and CRC check. Ifpassed, at 428, the remote datalink layer acknowledges receipt event. At430, the receiving node acknowledges message number 0. The datalinklayer acknowledges, at 432, the response.

FIG. 4C illustrates a transaction sequence diagram for a noderesponding. At message 440, the transmitting node issues a command tosend a datalink packet to node n. At 442, the transmitting node sendsdata bytes to receiving node n with a message number of 0. If noacknowledge, at 444 and after a timeout, the transmitting node sendsdata bytes to receiving node n with a message number of 0. If noacknowledge, at 446 and after a timeout, the transmitting node sendsdata bytes to receiving node n with a message number of 0. At 448, thedatalink layer indicates no link to the transport layer after a timeout.

FIG. 4D illustrates a transaction sequence diagram for a corruptedmessage. At message 450, the transmitting node issues a command to senda datalink packet to node n. At 452, the transmitting node sends databytes to receiving node n with a message number of 0. The remotedatalink can perform a CRC check. If failed, at 454, the receiving nodesends a NAK. At 456, the resend due to a timeout or NAK. At 458, thereceiving node may acknowledge a uncorrupted message. At 460, thedatalink may acknowledge the response.

For crossed messages, implementers should be aware of the possibility ofcrossed message where an incoming message is received while an outgoingmessage is pending. One of three strategies should be adopted:

A datalink response should be sent to the incoming message. Once the bustransaction is completed, the pending outgoing message can then beprocessed.

A busy response is sent to the originating node. The pending message canthen be sent. The originating node can resend the original incomingmessage after a busy timeout.

Transmission requests are blocked during any datalink activity. It is upto the transport or application layers to re-issue the request at alater time.

The data links can have the following basic timing characteristics: Baudrate of 115,200 bauds; character transmission time of 86.8 microseconds;max message length of a 5 byte header plus 255 payload bytes plus twobytes for CRC for 262 total bytes; max message time can be 262 bytestimes 86.8 microseconds for 27.2 milliseconds; ACK/NAK time can be 7bytes times 86.6 microseconds for 608 microseconds.

As nodes can change, each device on the bus will have an id formed fromthe product type id and the unique serial number. Note that this id willbe unique throughout the entire secondary bus network. Protocol 0 willcontain a command requesting a node with a particular Device Id torespond. This allows local or remote nodes to rebuild a network map andremote nodes to poll networks for lost or stolen units. It is left up toimplementers as to whether the products differentiate and offerdifferent functionality between local and remote nodes. There is no needto name a network until it is connected to an access point. An accesspoint connects a local network to the secondary bus network. Networknames must be unique and can be generated, if required, by the accesspoint. Once the LAN is connected to the secondary bus network, anyconnected device can be individually accessed by using a form such asDevice_ID@Network_ID. The Access Point will be responsible for ensuringa secure, authenticated connection to the secondary bus servers. It willalso bridge the WAN and the local network by converting Device Id to andfrom the node id and by buffering, handling any packet size differences.Devices may optionally implement additional security and/orauthentication measures before enabling sensitive functionality.

While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generallyassociated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodimentsand methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,the above description of example embodiments does not define orconstrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterationsare also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure, as defined by the following claims.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process 500 for communicating overmultiple networks in an automated transaction system according to thisdisclosure. The process can be executed by one or more of the devicesshown in FIG. 2. For example, the process 500 can be executed by notevalidator 218.

At step 502, the device communicates with a host controller over aprimary bus in the automated transaction system. At step 504, the deviceconnects to a secondary bus to form a self-organizing ad-hoc network.The connection does not require a technician to configure and maydynamically set when connected. At step 506, the device identifies oneor more devices on a secondary bus in the automated transaction system.At step 508, the device directly communicates with one of the one ormore devices over the secondary bus.

FIG. 6 illustrate example devices 600 in an automated transaction systemaccording to this disclosure. In one example, FIG. 6 illustrates anexample access point 212 of FIG. 2. Different components illustrated inFIG. 6 can also be included in other devices as shown in FIG. 2, suchas, for example note validator 218 or coin mechanism 216.

As shown in FIG. 6, the device 600 includes a bus system 605, whichsupports communication between at least one processing device 610, atleast one storage device 615, communications unit 620, and input/output(I/O) units 625-626.

The processing device 610 executes instructions that may be loaded intoa memory 630. The processing device 610 may include any suitablenumber(s) and type(s) of processors or other devices in any suitablearrangement. Example types of processing devices 610 includemicroprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, fieldprogrammable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits, anddiscreet circuitry.

The memory 630 and a persistent storage 635 are examples of storagedevices 615, which represent any structure(s) capable of storing andfacilitating retrieval of information (such as data, program code,and/or other suitable information on a temporary or permanent basis).The memory 630 may represent a random access memory or any othersuitable volatile or non-volatile storage device(s). For example, thememory 630 could be a pattern of fixed resisters on a piece of silicon.The persistent storage 635 may contain one or more components or devicessupporting longer-term storage of data, such as a ready only memory,hard drive, Flash memory, or optical disc.

The communications unit 620 supports communications with other systemsor devices. For example, the communications unit 620 could include anetwork interface card or a wireless transceiver facilitatingcommunications over a network. The communications unit 620 may supportcommunications through any suitable physical or wireless communicationlink(s).

The I/O units 625-626 allows for input and output of data. The I/O units625-626 can also be referred to as interfaces. The I/O units 625-626 mayprovide a connection to primary and secondary buses as discussed herein.The I/O units 625-626 can also be sued for user input through akeyboard, mouse, keypad, touchscreen, or other suitable input device.The I/O units 625-626 may also send output to a display, printer, orother suitable output device. There can be additional I/O units invarious embodiments.

Although FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a device 600, various changesmay be made to FIG. 6. For example, the components of the device 600could be rearranged or have different patterns. Various components inFIG. 6 could be omitted, combined, or further subdivided and additionalcomponents could be added according to particular needs. For example,the device may or may not include a communication unit 620.

As discussed above, device 600 could illustrate an example notevalidator or coin mechanism. These devices may also include accesspoints as shown in FIG. 2. When a validator or coin mechanism is beingused as an access point, the device may provide the ad-hoc network overthe secondary bus. These devices may also include the communicationsunit to communicate external to the ad-hoc network with external devicesto the vending machine.

One embodiment provides an apparatus for use in an automated transactionsystem. The apparatus includes a first interface coupled to a primarybus, the first interface configured to permit communication of data. Theapparatus also includes a second interface coupled to a secondary bus,the second interface configured to permit communication of the data. Anetwork topology of the primary bus is different from a network topologyof the secondary bus. The apparatus also includes at least oneprocessing device coupled to the first interface or second interface.The at least one processor is configured to communicate the data over atleast one of the first interface or second interface.

An example of the embodiment above, the network topology of the primarybus is a master and slave network topology, and the network topology ofthe secondary bus is one or more of a peer-to-peer (P2P) networktopology or a mesh network topology.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the at least one processing device is configured to communicatewith a host controller through the first interface and the primary bus,and communicate with a secondary controller through the second interfaceand the secondary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the at least one processing device is further configured toconcurrently perform a firmware update process by communicating with thesecondary controller via the secondary bus and a transaction process bycommunicating with the host controller via the primary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the secondary controller receives power from the host controller.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the at least one processing device is configured to directlycommunicate with another device of the automated transaction systemthrough the secondary bus.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides an automated transactionsystem. The system includes a primary bus including a host controller, afirst device coupled to the host controller over the primary bus, asecond device coupled to the host controller over the primary bus, and asecondary bus coupled to the first device and second device. The firstdevice is configured to directly communicate with the second device overthe secondary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat a network topology of the primary bus is different from a networktopology of the secondary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the first device is a payment device configured to validatepayment, the second device is a selection interface including a displayscreen configured to accept commands, and commands entered through thedisplay screen of the selection interface are directly communicated tothe payment device over the secondary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the network topology of the primary bus is a master and slavenetwork topology, and the network topology of the secondary bus is anad-hoc network topology.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the first device is further configured to concurrently download newfirmware over a secondary bus and a transaction process by communicatingwith the host controller.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides an apparatus for use in anautomated transaction system. The apparatus includes a memory elementconfigured to store a device list, at least one processing deviceconfigured to: identify one or more devices in a network; add the one ormore devices to the device list; and provide the device list to the oneor more devices of the network to allow the one or more devices todirectly communicate over the network.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat a network topology of the network is an ad-hoc network topology.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesa transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with devices outsideof the automated transaction system.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat one of the one or more devices is a payment device in the automatedtransaction system, and wherein the at least one processing device isfurther configured to: receive transaction data from the payment devicethrough the network; and control the transceiver to wirelessly transmitthe payment data to a device outside of the automated transaction systemfor authorization.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the apparatus is configured to receive power from a host controllerof the automated transaction system.

An embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for communicatingover multiple networks in an automated transaction system. The methodincludes communicating with a host controller over a primary bus in theautomated transaction system. The method also includes identifying oneor more devices on a secondary bus in the automated transaction system.The method also includes directly communicating with one of the one ormore devices over the secondary bus.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesconnecting to the secondary bus to form a self-organizing ad-hoc networkwith no requirement for human configuration.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesthat the secondary bus is to devices external to the automatedtransaction system via wireless communications.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments aboveprovides, by an access point, secure external access to the secondarybus via encryption and or firewall protection between the secondary busand an external network.

An example of one or more of the examples and embodiments above providesassigning, by an access point, a universally unique address to a deviceon the secondary bus when connected via a gateway node to an externalnetwork.

1. An apparatus for use in an automated transaction system, theapparatus comprising: a first interface coupled to a primary bus, thefirst interface configured to permit communication of data; a secondinterface coupled to a secondary bus, the second interface configured topermit communication of the data, wherein a network topology of theprimary bus is different from a network topology of the secondary bus;and at least one processing device coupled to the first interface orsecond interface, wherein the at least one processing device isconfigured to communicate the data over at least one of the firstinterface or second interface.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thenetwork topology of the primary bus is a master and slave networktopology, and wherein the network topology of the secondary bus is oneor more of a peer-to-peer (P2P) network topology or a mesh networktopology.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least oneprocessing device is further configured to communicate with a hostcontroller through the first interface and the primary bus, andcommunicate with a secondary controller through the second interface andthe secondary bus.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least oneprocessing device is further configured to: concurrently perform afirmware update process by communicating with the secondary controllervia the secondary bus and a transaction process by communicating withthe host controller via the primary bus.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein the secondary controller receives power from the hostcontroller.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least oneprocessing device is further configured to directly communicate withanother device of the automated transaction system through the secondarybus.
 7. A automated transaction system, comprising: a primary busincluding a host controller; a first device coupled to the hostcontroller over the primary bus; a second device coupled to the hostcontroller over the primary bus; and a secondary bus coupled to thefirst device and second device, wherein the first device is configuredto directly communicate with the second device over the secondary bus.8. The automated transaction system of claim 7, wherein a networktopology of the primary bus is different from a network topology of thesecondary bus.
 9. The automated transaction system of claim 7, whereinthe first device is a payment device configured to validate payment,wherein the second device is a selection interface including a displayscreen configured to accept commands, and wherein commands enteredthrough the display screen of the selection interface are directlycommunicated to the payment device over the secondary bus.
 10. Theautomated transaction system of claim 8, wherein the network topology ofthe primary bus is a master and slave network topology, and wherein thenetwork topology of the secondary bus is an ad-hoc network topology. 11.The automated transaction system of claim 7, wherein the first device isfurther configured to concurrently download new firmware over secondarybus and a transaction process by communicating with the host controller.12. An apparatus for use in an automated transaction system, comprising:a memory element configured to store a device list; and at least oneprocessing device configured to: identify one or more devices in anetwork, add the one or more devices to the device list, and provide thedevice list to the one or more devices of the network to allow the oneor more devices to directly communicate over the network.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein a network topology of the network is anad-hoc network topology.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, furthercomprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate withdevices outside of the automated transaction system.
 15. The apparatusof claim 14, wherein one of the one or more devices is a payment devicein the automated transaction system, and wherein the at least oneprocessing device is further configured to: receive transaction datafrom the payment device through the network, and control the transceiverto wirelessly transmit the transaction data to a device outside of theautomated transaction system for authorization.
 16. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive power from ahost controller of the automated transaction system.
 17. A method forcommunicating over multiple networks in an automated transaction system,the method comprising: communicating with a host controller over aprimary bus in the automated transaction system; identifying one or moredevices on a secondary bus in the automated transaction system; anddirectly communicating with one of the one or more devices over thesecondary bus.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:connecting to the secondary bus to form a self-organizing ad-hoc networkwith no requirement for human configuration.
 19. The method of claim 17,wherein the secondary bus is to devices external to the automatedtransaction system via wireless communications.
 20. The method of claim17, further comprising: providing, by an access point, secure externalaccess to the secondary bus via encryption and or firewall protectionbetween the secondary bus and an external network.
 21. The method ofclaim 19, further comprising: assigning, by an access point, auniversally unique address to a device on the secondary bus to anexternal network.